The xx - Say Something Loving

Swelling and bursting with emotion and passion it highlights a band that are re-energised and ready to confound expectations.

Banger

The xx are a band who have built their reputation as mysterious and elusive, masters of understated beauty. ‘Say Something Loving’ – the latest single from their forthcoming third album, knocks that completely on its head. They’ve never quite sounded this bold or this confident. It’s a supreme statement.

Like lead single ‘On Hold’ the song features a prominent soul sample, this time from a track called ‘Do You Feel It?’ by 70s duo Alessi Brothers, but all the production tricks fade into the background as the increasingly stunning voices of Romy and Oliver come to the fore. The track is full of yearning and a deeply human quality. The sentiment is simple yet hugely relatable. You could even label this The xx’s first anthem. Swelling and bursting with emotion and passion it highlights a band that are re-energised and ready to confound expectations. Martyn Young